If there’s one thing most kids have in common, it’s their utter dislike for vegetables. Try as you might by hiding their veggies in more acceptable foods or bribing them, kids are smart and mealtimes can quickly become a nightmare. Rather than waging war with your children at the dinner table, allow them to make their own good choices by teaching them all about the veggies they detest so much. Once they realize how important these foods are in order to grow big and strong, they may surprise you by asking for seconds! Here is a selection of fun books to help young kids learn that eating healthy is a good thing.
Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert
Taking a trip to the produce aisle at the grocery store will be much more fun after you’ve shared this book with your toddler. From apples to zucchini, your little one will love looking at the vibrant color photos on each page while learning his or her ABC’s. Vegetables and fruit are much more appealing to a toddler when they can associate what they read to things they see around them, and this book does a great job of getting kids excited about healthy foods. For ages 2-3 years.
Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert
Another great book by Lois Ehlert, Growing Vegetable Soup teaches young kids about vegetables from their very beginning. A father and son plant, water, and watch seeds grow in this endearing story. When it’s time to harvest the fruits of their labor, they make the most delicious soup ever. If you’re the gardening type and you have young children, this is the perfect book. Include them in the growing process and watch how agreeable they are when it’s time to eat the vegetables they’ve helped grow. For ages 2-3 years.
I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato (Charlie and Lola) by Lauren Child
Lola is a picky eater. She refuses to eat many foods, especially vegetables. That is, until her big brother, Charlie, helps her realize how exciting these foods really are. Carrots become twiglets from Jupiter, mashed potatoes are really cloud fluff, and tomatoes, her absolute least favorite, are actually moonsquirters. By making veggies fun for Lola, Charlie gets her to eat them all happily. Imagination is a powerful thing for a child, and this book gives many fun ideas for getting kids to eat their vegetables. For ages 4-8 years.
The Edible Pyramid: Good Eating Every Day (Reading Rainbow Books) by Loreen Leedy
Receiving rave reviews from teachers of preschool children, The Edible Pyramid teaches kids about healthy eating – from all levels of the pyramid. Although the food pyramid is outdated these days, this book includes all of the same healthy eating principles that are still important. A fun story of a French cat in tails as the head waiter at a ritzy restaurant, and a host of other animals as customers, this book keeps kids entertained and enthralled while learning about the foods they should be eating. For ages 5 & up.
We hope that you and your young ones enjoy all these fun and educational books for Eat Your Vegetables Day. (We also hope that dinner time is a little easier!) If your child wants to learn more about the food, cooking and the kitchen, make sure to check out some of our recipes.
